Ready for the new season? A good clear-out is just what you need! Read our how to in the January issue of Expat Parent!

Eve Roth Lindsay has tips for a cathartic clear out.

With the holidays over, it’s back to your familiar wardrobe. In fact, you probably know it so well that you are tired of it and longing for something new. Start with a good clear out. You may be surprised by how many pieces you rediscover as well as how much needs to go.

Clearing out your wardrobe is so cathartic you will wonder what took you so long. Looking for new clothes to add to your existing wardrobe is difficult when you don’t know what you have, so before you buy another thing you need to edit. To keep your wardrobe organised, make a note of things you like – your favourite length of skirt, dress or trousers – and what makes an outfit work. You can even photograph which garments go together.

Start with your favourite go-to outfits. Get them out and decide what you like so much about them: colour, fit or style? Comfort? Ease of cleaning? The answers will help you when you are going through the rest of your wardrobe. Now start weeding. Put on some good music and try on everything in your closet. Start with a category such as dresses, then move onto skirts, jeans, shoes, bags and accessories. Be methodical, starting at one end and working your way through. Be ruthless and as you edit, ask yourself whether you will wear these clothes again.

Organise clothes into five categories: 1.Favourites– these are the clothes you cannot imagine living without. A good test is to ask yourself if you would have it copied. Action: return to wardrobe. 2.Have to go– what were you thinking? These are the clothes you will never wear again. Action: recycle. 3.Alterations– pieces that would work with a tweak, perhaps to correct the fit, length, rips or buttons. Action: get them fixed. 4.Nostalgia– these might be things you wore till they couldn’t be worn anymore or that you used to wear and might wear again (but never do). Before you get rid of them, think about why you loved them. Could they be copied or replaced? Action: make a note in your wardrobe diary then put the items in your recycle, copy or alternation bag. 5. Not sure– these are items you can’t decide about. Action: move to the back of your wardrobe, but if you don’t wear them this year you know what you have to do. Now you have a smaller, more user-friendly wardrobe, it’s time to organise. Hang your clothes by categories so it is easy to find things. When you are getting dressed, think about where you are going and the image you want to project. Start with the most important item of the outfit: if you need comfort, begin with the shoes and build an outfit around them.

When you buy something new, see if there’s anything you can remove from your wardrobe rather than just adding new things. When you keep buying, your wardrobe gets bigger but you often seem to have less to wear. Small capsule wardrobes work best, containing only clothes that you like, that fit and are in season. If you can’t wear it today, you shouldn’t be looking at it.

Last tip: clothes should never be put away without cleaning, especially in humid Asia, where small spots tend to grow into big stains by next season. Can’t do it alone? With more than 88 consultants in Asia, Colour Me Beautiful has the right consultant to make your wardrobe happy. Contact: 2522 2592 Email: info@colourmebeautiful.hk

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PRESS BLOG

A weekly contributor to the South China Morning Post, Eve Roth Lindsay offered savvy advice to readers as a Glamour Guru since 2004. She has also been included in various media presentations and has been a featured guest on RTHK Backchat and RTHK Lunch Beat, giving insight into the latest fashion trends.